15 Digital Marketing Myths That You Shouldn’t Believe

Law firm digital marketing is a rapidly changing science. That means information becomes outdated quickly, and it can be difficult to know?what’s true and what’s not. Even with the latest information available, there are still plenty of digital marketing myths out there. Here are some of the most common ones affecting law firms today.

Myth #1: Digital Marketing is Only for Big Law Firms

One of the most common digital marketing myths is that digital marketing is only for big law firms. Realistically, though, digital marketing is a critical component to helping your practice grow and you don’t need a massive, corporate-sized budget to see results. We recommend spending 7 or 8% of your firm’s revenue on digital marketing efforts.?

Myth #2: Digital Marketing Doesn’t Need to be a Priority

Even in today’s landscape, some law firms think digital marketing is “extra” or “nice to have”. In truth, internet marketing tactics have become essential. Your online reputation is one of your firm’s most important assets, and you can bet that the majority of your future clients are performing research online. Social media and online credibility are today’s word-of-mouth. You need to prioritize digital tactics in order to meet clients where they look for answers.?

Myth #3: Having a Website is Enough to Market My Law Firm

If you’ve done a good job with your website and have a well-designed website, you may think that it will do your marketing for you. After all, people can come to your website to find information and get in touch with you.?

The only problem is actually stumbling upon your website. How do prospects find your website in the first place? Strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), content creation, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, and social media will bring people to your website (where you can then impress them with your terrific design and user experience).?

Myth #4: If I Just Put Content Out There, It’ll be Enough

A lot of law firms have come to realize the power of content creation – but simply pushing out content isn’t enough. For one thing, you need to focus on quality over quantity. Creating content for the sake of content won’t help your marketing efforts. Focus on high-quality, well-researched content that provides real information and positions your firm as a thought leader. Furthermore, you need to promote your content in various ways. This post describes some ways that you can repurpose content for social media in order to see better results.?

If you’d like to learn how to create quality content that’ll get your firm noticed, check out this free eBook: The Law Firm Guide to Content Marketing.

Myth #5: As Long as Our Competition Isn’t Focusing on Digital, We Don’t Need to Either

Sometimes lawyers feel a false sense of security when their competition isn’t active online. Just because similar firms aren’t making the most of digital marketing doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.?

Digital marketing will give your firm a leg up on your competition. Not only will you have increased brand exposure, but you’ll also reach your target audience more effectively than your competition.

Furthermore, if your competition isn’t very active online, that presents more opportunities for you. Make the effort to fill any gaps that your competition is leaving online with valuable content and promotional programs.?

Myth #6: There’s Too Broad of an Audience Online to Make an Impact With Digital Marketing

The internet has billions of users and you can only serve people in your geographic market – so does marketing online make sense? The truth is that today’s platforms offer so many ways to segment your audience and narrow down your targets. Whereas with traditional marketing which targets anyone who is exposed to it, social media, paid campaigns, and PPC can precisely target people based on things like geography, demographics, and past activities. That means you won’t waste advertising dollars on people who aren’t likely to be interested in your firm. You’ll get a higher ROI due to reaching more qualified prospects.?

Myth #7: Email Marketing Isn’t Effective Anymore

This is one we hear a lot, and it couldn’t be further from the truth. Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways of communicating and building relationships with your database. You can take things a step further by using marketing automation and lead nurturing tactics which make emails more customized. For more email tips, read this post on ramping up open and click-through rates.?

Myth #8: People Don’t Like Personalization and Find it Creepy

You’re probably hearing a lot about online privacy concerns and how they are affecting marketers. But the truth is, people do prefer personalization in their communications. People prefer getting valuable information that’s tailored to their unique interests and challenges, and are more likely to do business with firms that they feel understand them. In fact, people expect more personalization in marketing. That being said, it’s important to be transparent. Make sure to have an unsubscribe option and privacy policy available.?

Myth #9: Traditional Ads Will Always be Best

For many years law firms and lawyers have relied on traditional advertising tactics like TV and billboards. However, these tactics are not quite the most cost effective tactics for many. If you’ve always worked with a small budget, you might have thought advertising was out of your budget, however, the rise of paid search and paid social media had made advertising extremely cost efficient and granular.?

Myth #10: Social Media is Only for the Younger Generation- Those I’m Marketing to Aren’t on There

Over 75% of Gen X is on social media, and many boomers spend almost 2 hours daily on social media. Social media is an important tactic for firms, as not having a presence online can lower credibility as many users across generations turn to social media when researching brands they may work with.

Related: Advanced Social Media Strategies for Law Firms eBook

Myth #11: My Website Doesn’t Need to be Updated

Your firm’s website is often a user’s first impression, so it needs to stand out. However, website design and development best practices update periodically as preferences change and newer technology progresses. Your firm should plan and budget to update your website throughout the years.

Myth #12: AI Can Do Everything for Me

Artificial intelligence has certainly revolutionized the digital marketing industry, however, AI certainly cannot do it all if you want a robust digital presence.

AI lacks creativity and requires human supervision in order to work. While you can leverage AI to help boost efficiency by using things like automation to send emails or Grammarly to check your copy’s grammar, AI can only help with some of your tasks and isn’t capable of completely taking over your marketing strategy.

Myth #13: SEO Isn’t Worth the Time

Sure, SEO has a much slower timeline than other tactics but this doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. SEO is absolutely vital when it comes to digital marketing, as it’s how you ensure your firm can be found online in search engines. After all, 90% of internet sessions start with a search engine.

Myth #14: Quantity is Better Than Quality

Just putting out a lot of content isn’t going to do the job. You must be putting out quality content, and if this means lessening how much you produce- so be it. Try putting out content that’s valuable to your audience, is educational, and speaks to their pain points.

Myth #15: Mobile Optimization Isn’t Necessary if You Have Great Design

Over 60% of all web traffic comes from mobile. Having a site or email that’s not optimized for mobile is like shooting yourself in the foot. If a user can’t easily access your site, email, or post on a mobile device, they’ll likely click off and not engage with you again online.

Takeaway

Digital marketing is incredibly effective for law firms who understand the correct strategies and put them to good use. If you move past these 15 myths and use the latest digital tools and tactics, you can grow your firm substantially.?

If you need help developing a customized digital strategy, reach out to us. We help firms to optimize online activities in order to meet their larger business goals.